


Baby Blue Eyes

by Struckk



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Pregnancy, fluff for the sake of fluff, fluffier than a sheep shaped cloud
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-04
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-02 21:32:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4074595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Struckk/pseuds/Struckk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra is pregnant with Jake's baby. Fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [justlook3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlook3/gifts).



> Warning: If you are constantly sharing your Jassandra baby headcanons with justlook3, she WILL make you write them into an actual fic. You have her to thank for this.

Jacob Stone couldn’t sleep. This in itself wasn’t new to him, he often had restless nights where his brain just refused to turn off. Tonight, however, Jake lay back and welcomed the thoughts that came to him. Unlike other nights where his restlessness was caused by anxiety from a particularly rough case, nights where he would close his eyes and relive the more frightening aspects of his job, tonight the things keeping him awake were happy memories.

Cassandra slept soundly beside him. Jake couldn’t help but smile when he looked over at her. They had been through so much together in such a short amount of time, and they still had the rest of their long lives ahead of them. 

Jake supposed it all started three years ago. Well, it really all started the first time he laid eyes on the beautiful red head, back when they first found out about the Library and that magic was real. It had been love at first sight, though Jake had been too stubborn to admit it at the time. But it had been three years ago that he finally got his head out of his ass and confessed his true feelings for Cassandra. It was the fear of losing her too soon that caused him to wait so long, but he finally realized that if he was going to lose her anyways, he would rather have her as his for a short amount of time as opposed to not at all.

And then it turned out that Jake needn't worry at all. Not even a year after he and Cassandra became a couple, they discovered a cure. Actually, it had been Ezekiel who discovered the artifact that cured Cassandra, a fact that the young thief still liked to bring up, but it didn’t matter. Jake would happily listen to the kid brag about how awesome he was if it meant that Cassandra would be around for a long time. It was a small price to pay.

He had meant to wait, to bask in the glory of one milestone before moving on to the next. Jake figured six months, maybe even a year would be plenty of time. However, a mere month after Cassandra had been brain grape free he decided it had been long enough and he asked her to marry him. Of course she said yes.

Although Jake had always envisioned himself having a large wedding in a church, his parents, sisters, and every other Stone relative present, he was more than happy to trade that fantasy in for the small ceremony Cassandra wanted. Jenkins officiated, Flynn walked her down the aisle, and Baird and Jones were the only others in attendance. They were married in the Library, and they spent their honeymoon locked up in their own apartment. When you have instant access to anywhere in the world, a foreign getaway just didn’t hold the same appeal as their apartment did at the time.

That had been a year ago, exactly one year. Today had been their first anniversary and unlike their honeymoon, they did decide to take full advantage of the portal door. Jake took Cassie to Rome, a place they hadn’t been since they went looking for the Apple. This time they had the entire day to explore and didn’t have to worry about falling victim to a magical artifact. 

They stayed off the Vatican this time, but as they enjoyed lunch at a small cafe nearby, Cassandra delivered the next piece of life changing news. She was pregnant.

Jake didn’t think it was possible for him to ever be as happy as he was when they found a cure for Cassandra. His wedding day was a close second, but he never imagined anything else ever coming close to making him feel the way he had those two days. Boy, was he wrong. Finding out that he and Cassandra were going to be parents, that in a few months there was going to be a baby that was a piece of him and a piece of Cassie, that easily matched how happy he had been when he learned that Cassandra was going to be around to long enough to actually live her life.

Sighing contentedly, Jake rolled onto his side and gently draped his arm around Cassandra’s waist. She instinctively leaned into him, but didn’t wake fully. Smiling, Jake closed his eyes and before too long he had drifted off into a deep sleep, dreaming of the child that he had yet to meet.


	2. Telling the Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The rest of the team finds out about the baby, and Jones becomes scarred for life.

“You should tell them, Cass,” Jake encouraged. The two of them were enjoying a lazy evening cuddled on the couch, not paying the least bit of attention to the movie they had put on. “They should know.”

“I’ll tell them eventually,” Cassandra sighed. “I’m only six weeks along, Jake. Lots of people keep their pregnancy a secret during the first trimester.”

“They aren’t just people, though,” Jake had his arm around Cassandra and subconsciously rubbed his hand along her arm. “They’re family. They deserve to know.”

“And they will, just not yet,” Cassandra said purposefully, her head resting on Jake’s shoulder. “I only just told _you_ yesterday, don’t you want it to be our secret for a little while?”

Jake smiled at that thought. It would be fun, just having the two of them know for awhile. But still. “You know I’d love that, darlin’. It’s just…”

“Just what?” Cassandra lifted her head to look Jake in the eyes.

“With our line of work, things ain’t exactly normal for us,” he hesitated for a moment. “What if there’s something magical we need to worry about?”

Cassandra giggled for a second, but stopped when she realized Jacob was serious. “You mean like, what if using the back door while pregnant causes our baby to be born with two heads or something?”

“See, I hadn’t even thought of that one!” Jake exclaimed, though his worry disappeared almost immediately as the rest of Cassandra’s sentence sunk in. “Our baby. I like the sound of that. _Our_ baby.” He smiled.

“I do, too,” Cassandra smiled and rested her head back on Jake’s shoulder. “Would you still love our baby if it was born with two heads?”

“Of course I would,” Jake chuckled. “And both of our baby’s heads would be gorgeous, because they have you for a mother.”

“And you for a father,” Cassandra added. “Do you really think we should tell the team tomorrow?”

“Honestly? As much as I would love for this to be our little secret for the next couple of months, it would really ease my mind.” Jake admitted. “I’m sure Jenkins will have some knowledge on pregnancy and magic.”

“Yeah,” Cassandra sighed. Jake thought it sounded like she was going to say something else, but she stayed silent.

“What is it, Cass?” he prodded.

Cassandra hesitated for a moment before lifting her head to meet Jake’s gaze, her eyes tearing up. “They’re going to be so mad.”

“Oh, darlin’, no! They’re not gonna be mad,” Jake was taken aback by the sudden change in his wife’s mood, but he supposed it was something he would be getting used to pretty quickly. “Why do you think that?”

“It’s going to ruin everything,” Cassandra sniffled. “Pretty soon I’ll be useless. I won’t be able to help on any cases. Jenkins is going to hate me. This baby is going to get in the way of his quiet annex. Once it’s born he’ll probably banish me!”

“Oh Cass,” Jake pulled her into him and placed a comforting kiss on the top of her head. He wanted to laugh at how adorable she was acting, but he figured that doing so would only make things worse. “That ain’t gonna happen. This baby is a good thing, darlin’, and everyone is gonna be happy for us.”

“Yes, but--” Cassandra started to say, her face buried in Jake’s shoulder, but he cut her off.

“But nothin’. You’re the smartest of us all, Cassie. Even once you’re confined to the annex, that big brain of yours is going to be plenty useful on cases. And don’t you worry about Jenkins. He acts tough, but you know as well as I do that he’s a big ol’ softie at heart.”

Cassandra giggled, and Jake smiled as the vibrations tickled his neck. “Can you imagine Jenkins babysitting for us?” she asked.

Jake laughed as he imagined Jenkins chasing a hyper toddler through the Library. “I don’t think I can imagine any of the team babysitting, actually.”

“No, me neither. We might have to expand our circle of friends,” Cassandra joked. “I guess we kind of have to tell them. Apparently I’m already having mood swings, they’re bound to notice that.”

Jake nodded. “I’m sure they will. It’s hard not to notice when the most upbeat person in the room breaks down crying for no reason.”

“Okay, I guess we’ll tell them tomorrow then,” Cassandra sighed, then began lightly tracing her fingers along Jake’s arm. “But for the next few hours, it’s still our little secret.”

“Mmm, I like the sound of that,” Jake spoke low, his eyes narrowing as he leaned over and captured Cassandra’s lips in a kiss.

 

 

* * *

 

 

As it turned out, Jake was right all along, Cassandra had nothing to worry about as far as telling the team was concerned. The couple had sat everyone down first thing the next morning to break the news to them, and most everyone’s reaction was as Jake expected.

Baird, though tough on the outside, exposed her inner mother hen and immediately offered Cassandra her chair, encouraging the young woman to get off her feet and take it easy. Jenkins had smiled and offered his congratulations. Flynn launched into hyperactive mode, running around the annex talking in alliteration about baby proofing and insisting the child refer to him as Uncle Flynn. It was Ezekiel whose reaction caught Jacob off guard. Jake had been expecting some kind of wise crack about not realizing the cowboy was man enough to make a baby, anything to get a rise out of him. Instead Jones grabbed Cassandra in a tight bear hug. When he finally let her go Jake could swear he saw tears in the younger man’s eyes. As much as he wanted to say something, to get back at all of Ezekiel’s teasing over the years, he turned his head and pretended not to notice.

“We actually had some questions for Jenkins,” Jake finally said after everyone was up to date on their news. “Flynn, you might be able to help, too.”

“We were wondering if there’s anything we need to be concerned about, magically speaking,” Cassandra continued.

“You mean, you’re worried that the baby might have absorbed too much time energy? That it might be born with Time Lord DNA?” Ezekiel piped up, back to his old self. “No worries there, mate. That only happens if the kid is conceived on the TARDIS. Though, I suppose the Library is a lot like the TARDIS….”

Jake glared at Jones. “Our baby wasn’t conceived in the Libra--” he trailed off and turned to Cassandra. “Wait, was it?” he added more quietly.

“Ewww!” Ezekiel whined. “I was only kidding before! You didn’t do it on my part of the desk, did you? No, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”

Cassandra just rolled her eyes at the boys and turned her attention back to Jenkins. “Like the back door, for example. I’ve already used it since getting pregnant. That won’t affect the baby, will it?”

Jenkins smiled and shook his head. “I can assure you, Miss Cillian, the portal is perfectly safe for your child.” Though Cassandra had opted to take Jake’s last name when they married (seeing as she wasn’t that close to her family to begin with) Jenkins still insisted on calling her by her maiden name. “Though I would suggest you keep your... _personal activities_ out of the Library.”

“Why? You don’t actually think our baby could be born one of those Time whatzits, do you?” Jake’s eyes widened.

“Of course not,” Jenkins said matter of factly. “I just don’t want to risk walking in on anything I can’t unsee. Even with magic, there are some things that can’t be forgotten.”

Jake’s face turned bright red and Cassandra giggled nervously and looked away.

Flynn leaned in a little closer to Jenkins and asked “Does that apply to us, too?” He gestured at himself and Baird, who elbowed the Librarian hard in the arm.

“Ew, no!” Ezekiel covered his ears with his hands and hurried out of the annex. “Animals, all of you!” Everyone watched with amused faces as Jones ran off before returning to their conversation from before.

“So we have nothing to worry about? Magic won’t affect the baby?” Cassandra asked.

“Magic can indeed affect the baby, Miss Cillian,” Jenkins confirmed. “But it’s not likely you’ll stumble onto anything that will cause you any harm. Anything that will affect your pregnancy would have to be used quite deliberately. If anything, spending time in the Library will probably have a positive effect on your pregnancy. The energy of this place tends to be quite calming, and I assure you that your unborn child will pick up on that.”

Jake and Cassandra both smiled at that news, their earlier worries put to rest.

“I guess the only thing left to do is find Ezekiel and calm him down, then,” Cassandra giggled.

Jake winced. “Do we have to? For the first time in ages it’s actually quiet in here. I say we let the kid squirm for a little while.”

At that moment, the main clippings book began to glow, and everyone’s attention turned to their latest case. Baird headed off to find Ezekiel while the remaining team members gathered around the book to discover where they would be heading.


	3. Grocery Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Cassandra go grocery shopping, because grocery shopping is a lot more fun in fanfiction than it is in real life,

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a ton of fun for me to write. I've been meaning to write something grocery shopping related for awhile. (Maybe I need to rethink my goal's in life, there's probably so much more I could aspire to than fanfic dedicated to grocery shopping.) Cookies to anyone who spots the Kane's Kitchen reference!

The case turned out to be fairly straight forward, though it did nothing to ease the minds of the expecting parents. The clippings book sent the team to a small town in search of what was thought to be a killer doll. As it turned out, the doll itself wasn’t actually killing people, but it had been cursed and as a result, the heart of anyone who touched it would stop. The team was able to bring it safely to the Library with gloves that Jenkins had engineered specifically for this sort of case.

“Just so we’re clear, our kid is never getting a doll,” Jake declared as he sealed up the vault Jenkins had told him to store the doll in.

“No worries there,” Cassandra agreed. “Our kid isn’t playing with any toys that aren’t approved by Jenkins first.”

Jake chuckled and put his arm around Cassandra’s waist, pulling her closer.

“What do you say we head home and enjoy a nice, quiet evening in?” he asked. “It’s been a long day.”

“Sounds good. Can we swing by the grocery store first? There’s some things I want to pick up.”

“Sure thing, darlin’.”

 

* * *

 

They arrived at the grocery store and Jake drove around looking for a parking spot.

“How pregnant do you think you have to be before we can park in one of them expectin’ mother parking spots?” Jake joked as he drove past several empty spots reserved for pregnant women.

“I’m guessing pregnant enough that I need the spot for reasons other than my husband’s laziness.”

Jake finally found an empty spot to park in near the back of the lot. He and Cassandra got out of the truck and headed into the store hand in hand. Jake grabbed a basket on the way in, thinking they were there to just pick up a few things.

“So what are we here for, anyways?” he asked Cassandra, who was walking determinedly to a particular aisle. She still held his hand in hers and as a result he found himself being dragged along behind her.

“We need pickles,” Cassandra said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “There aren’t any pickles at home.”

“There are never any pickles at home, darlin’.” Jake replied.

“Yeah, well you’ve got a pregnant wife, Jake. What kind of husband doesn’t keep the fridge stocked full of pickles for his pregnant wife?” Cassandra said as she continued to drag him into the pickle aisle.

Jake opened his mouth to remind Cassandra that he had only just learned of her pregnancy a couple of days ago, but thought the better of it. Instead he forced his mouth into an amused smile and picked up his pace so that he was walking beside her instead of behind her.

When they found themselves standing in front of the shelves of pickles Jake expected Cassandra to grab a jar and continue on. Instead she stood and studied each jar, contemplating what to get.

“Darlin’, they’re pickles. Just grab a jar and let’s go,” Jacob encouraged in his most patient voice.

“It’s not that simple, Jake,” Cassandra shook her head and picked up two different jars. “Do I want regular dill, or baby dill?”

“Uh…”

“Baby dill is just so fitting, don’t you think? And they’re smaller, they’ll fit in my mouth easier,” Cassandra continued talking, not giving Jake a chance to jump in with his opinion. “Oh! Look! Pickles come pre sliced now!” Cassandra set down the jars she had been holding and reached out for a jar of sliced pickles.

“Pre sliced?” Jake scratched his head. “How lazy do you have to be to buy pre sliced pickles?”

“Says the man who wanted to exploit my pregnancy just so he could park closer to the door,” Cassandra smirked, setting the jar back on the shelf. “But you’re right. Besides, I want to eat them whole. They’re crunchier that way.” She picked up a large jar of baby dill pickles and put it in the basket.

Hoping that the worst of it was over, Jake followed Cassandra through the store to her next destination.

“Now what are we getting, Cassie?” he asked, a little hesitant.

“Cream cheese,” she answered as they reached the dairy section.

“Cream cheese? Honey, you know we have cream cheese at home, right?”

“Yeah, but only your homemade cream cheese. That garlic and herb one you always make,” Cassandra said, her attention on all of the different kinds of cream cheese that the store had to offer.

“You love my garlic and herb cream cheese,” Jake reminded her.

“I know, but I don’t think the baby does,” Cassandra said as she added a tub of plain cream cheese to the basket.

“Great,” Jake rolled his eyes. “Kid ain’t even born yet and already it’s a picky eater.”

Cassandra smiled at Jake and squeezed his hand reassuringly. “I’m sure our baby will come around eventually. But right now it wants regular cream cheese.” Jake couldn’t help but smile back at her. For a split second their attention was on nothing but each other, before something caught Cassandra’s attention out of the corner of her eye.

“Oh, cheese curds! I love these things,” she snatched up a couple of bags and added them to the basket. “Seriously Jake, pregnancy or no pregnancy, we need to buy curds more often.”

Jake just smiled and rolled his eyes. “Where to next?”

“Ginger ale,” Cassandra answered, once again dragging Jake along as she was determined to get every item off her invisible list.

Jake’s arm sagged a bit as the weight of the ginger ale bottle made the basket heavier. “How much more stuff is on your list, darlin’? This thing is getting pretty heavy.”

“Just one more thing. I want ice cream. And I can just carry it to the check out so that your arm doesn’t get any more tired than it already is.”

“Okay, now I _know_ we’ve got ice cream at home. Plain ol’ store bought ice cream,” Jake reminded her.

“Yeah, exactly. _Plain_ ice cream. Chocolate and vanilla. Boring,” Cassandra sang that last part. “I want mint. No! butterscotch!” She let go of Jake’s hand so that she was free to pick up a box of both flavours and, true to her word, carried both of them as to not add to the bulk of the basket.

“We done?” Jake asked skeptically. Cassandra just nodded, a big grin on her face.

“Good. Please tell me you don’t plan on dipping those pickles in the ice cream?” he asked as they reached the check out and was finally able to start unloading some of the weight from the basket.

“Actually, that’s what the cream cheese is for. But now that you mention it, pickles and mint ice cream does sound pretty good,” Cassandra said thoughtfully. Jake just shook his head but didn’t say anything.

The cashier loaded all of their items into two bags and like a gentleman, Jake started to carry both bags out to the truck. Coming up beside him Cassandra took one of the bags from him and replaced it with her hand.

“Thank you for putting up with me,” she said softly, her usual self finally coming back.

“Believe me, darlin’, there’s not a moment in my life where I’m ‘putting up with you,’ ” Jake smiled and squeezed her hand. “I love everything about you, and there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than spending time with you, pregnancy hormones or not.”

They walked out of the store and Jake once again looked longingly at the row of empty parking spaces reserved for pregnant women. It wasn’t that his bag was too heavy for him to carry, or that he usually minded walking, but it really had been a long day and it was starting to catch up with him. Jake was looking forward to a quiet dinner at home and then curling up on the couch with Cassie in his arms.

The drive home was quick and when they reached their apartment Jake carried the bags up to their floor and Cassandra unlocked the door. After setting the groceries on the kitchen counter and taking his coat off, Jacob turned to his wife and pulled her into him.

“Now please tell me you didn’t plan on pickles and cream cheese for dinner, because I think we could both use somethin’ with a little more substance after the day we’ve had.”

“Actually, I kind of have a craving for your fried chicken. Oooh, and waffles!” Cassandra beamed.

Jake hesitated. “Cassie, darlin’. I don’t think we have any of the ingredients for waffles. Not all of them, at least.”

“Oh,” Cassandra’s face fell. “Well that’s okay. Just chicken, I guess.”

Jake sighed and reached for his coat.

“Jake, no. You don’t have to go out again,” Cassandra assured him. “It’s fine.”

However, Jake ignored her protests. “Why don’t you put these groceries away and get the stuff out for the chicken. I’ll be back in ten minutes,” he said, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He was out the door before she could say another word.


	4. The Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Cassandra attend their first doctor's appointment and hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took a bit longer, and is a bit shorter than usual. I struggled a bit with it since I have zero experience with the technical aspects of pregnancy. I owe a huge thanks to shyvioletgirl on FF.net for reading this over and giving me the confidence to post it.

A couple of weeks later found Jacob and Cassandra sitting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office. Before too long they would get to hear their baby’s heartbeat for the first time.

Jake sat nervously in his chair, his right knee bouncing, his hands also unable to keep still. It felt like they had been waiting for hours but a quick glance at the clock on the wall told him they had been there for no longer than five minutes.

“Honey, could you stop that?” Cassandra asked patiently as she placed her hand on Jake’s knee in an effort to get him to stop bouncing it. She set down the magazine she had been reading and turned her attention to her husband.

“Sorry, I didn’t even realize,” Jake forced a small smile. “Guess I’m a little bit anxious.”

“Me too,” Cassandra admitted as she squeezed the hand that still rest on Jake’s knee. He covered her hand with his.

“It’s all starting to feel real, you know?” Jake’s voice was filled with wonder.

Cassandra eyed him skeptically. “I don’t know. I thought it felt pretty real when I was throwing up these past few mornings.”

Jake chuckled. “Fair point. You would be feeling the changes a lot sooner than me. But we’re about to hear our baby’s heartbeat for the first time,” he squeezed the hand that rested under his. “We’re about to get actual proof of the little person we created.”

From across the room a woman several months along in her pregnancy smiled at the couple.

“Let me guess, this is your first?” the woman asked. Cassandra smiled and nodded.

“That obvious, huh?” Jake asked with grin.

“The first time can be pretty exciting, but my husband was a nervous wreck until he heard that heartbeat,” the woman laughed. “I’m sure you two have nothing to worry about.”

At that moment the nurse came in to tell Jake and Cassandra that the doctor was ready to see them.

“It was nice talking to you,” Cassandra waved a small goodbye to the woman as she and got up and headed down the hall.

 

* * *

 

Jake and Cassandra were taken to a small exam room where they met with the doctor. She drew some blood for tests and then proceeded to ask Cassandra a series of questions. The questions were fairly routine, and everything seemed fine until the doctor noticed something on Cassandra’s file.

“It says here that you had a brain tumor,” the doctor mentioned, her voice full of concern. “You didn’t mention that before. Even after being removed, these things have a tendency to return.”

Jake and Cassandra exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to say next. Though both of them knew that there was no risk of Cassandra’s tumor returning, they weren’t sure how to explain the magical reasoning to the doctor. Luckily the doctor spoke up before either Librarian had the chance to explain.

“Who did your surgery?” she asked.

“That would be Dr. Jenkins,” Cassandra said quickly, without much thought. “He’s uh… they say he’s pretty magical when it comes to these things.” From beside her, Cassandra noticed Jake hide a smirk.

“Dr. Jenkins? I’ve never heard of him,” the doctor shook her head. “Where did you have the surgery done?”

“Oh, just at the Lib-” Cassandra caught herself. “Library Memorial. The Library Memorial Hospital.”

“Oh. Alright then,” the doctor smiled and closed up the file. “Everything appears to be in order, then. I’m just going to get someone to run these samples down to the lab then I’ll be right back.”

Jake and Cassandra both breathed a sigh of relief once the doctor had left the room.

“That was close,” Jake said with a half smile. “it doesn’t matter how long we’re in this job, I don’t think I’ll ever get over how easily people just accept the whole Library excuse.”

“Me neither,” Cassandra agreed.

The doctor returned after a couple of minutes to finish the examination.

“Are you two ready to hear the heartbeat for the first time?” she asked as both parents nodded eagerly. “Alright. Cassandra, I’ll just get you to lie back.”

Cassandra did as she was told as the doctor got everything set up. She then proceeded to apply gel to Cassandra’s stomach.

“Ooh, cold!” the redhead exclaimed with a smile. “I guess the rumours are true.” From beside her, Jake chuckled and took her hand.

The doctor picked up the fetal Doppler and held it against Cassandra’s stomach. After minimal searching she stopped and looked up at the couple.

“And there you go, that’s the heartbeat,” she smiled. “Everything sounds healthy at this point.”

Jake squeezed the hand that he was holding, trying unsuccessfully not to tear up. “It sounds like a herd of gallopin’ horses,” he whispered, just loud enough that Cassandra could barely make out his words from beside him.

“Jacob Stone, are you crying?” she teased, rubbing her thumb along the back of his hand. He didn’t answer right away and instead leaned over and kissed Cassandra’s forehead.

“There’s definitely a baby in there, Cass,” he grinned like a little boy on Christmas morning. “Our baby.”

Jake paused for a moment, taking in the sound of the heartbeat before adding “and if you tell Jones I cried, I’ll deny everything.”


	5. The Painting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is having a rough morning, and Flynn shows up in need of Jake's help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kind of got away from me. It was originally supposed to focus more on Cassandra and Ezekiel, but the set up took longer than I expected and then Flynn showed up and before I knew it, the chapter I had in mind was getting pushed back into the next chapter. I hadn't meant to focus on the case so much, but Flynn wouldn't let up.

Jake knew it was going to be a long day when he woke to the sound of Cassandra throwing up in their en suite bathroom. Morning sickness wasn’t new to them by this point, but he was still usually the first one up.

Sighing, Jake sat up and stretched before getting out of bed. He made his way over to the closed door and knocked gently.

“Cassie, darlin’? You okay in there?” he asked. For a moment there was no response, but soon he heard soft footsteps and then the door opened and Cassandra stepped out, looking exhausted.

“I’m fine. You want in?” she asked, heading to the large closet that the two of them shared. Jake followed her, wrapping an arm around her waist when he caught up and turning her to face him.

“Hey,” he whispered, the hand not around her waist reaching up to brush a stray lock of hair out of her face and then resting on her cheek. “We don’t have to go in today. If you’re not feeling up to it I’m sure everyone will understand if we stay home.”

Cassandra closed her eyes and relaxed into Jake’s embrace. When she opened her eyes, she forced a small smile.

“I’m fine, Jake. Really,” she spoke softly. “I want to go in, The Library is just as much home as this place, after all.”

Jake hesitated for a second, carefully studying Cassandra’s face. She looked tired, and he really had no idea how long she had been up that morning or how much sleep she had even gotten. But there was no arguing with Cassandra, even when she wasn’t charged with hormones. And she had a point, she could take it easy just as well at The Library as she could in their apartment.

He nodded and then left Cassandra to get changed while he headed to the bathroom to get himself ready. When he emerged several minutes later Cassandra was gone, but he could hear the sound of the TV playing in the next room. He spent another minute changing into his clothes for the day and then headed out to join Cassandra in the other room. He found her curled up in a ball on the couch, tears rolling down her eyes.

“Cassie?” He said her name gently as he took a seat next to her and took her in his arms. He knew it was likely just hormones, but it still pained him to see her upset. “Darlin’, what’s wrong?”

“That old woman,” Cassandra sniffled and Jake tighten his hold on her. “She fell down and she can’t get up.”

“The Life Alert commercial?” Jake couldn’t help it, he started laughing. He had been so careful the past few weeks to be understanding and respectful of Cassandra’s mood swings, but this was just too funny for him to hold back. “You’re cryin’ over the Life Alert commercial? Oh Cass!”

“It’s not funny,” Cassandra sniffled again. “Stop laughing.”

“I’m sorry, darlin’,” Jake said between laughs. “It’s just...the Life Alert commercial! You’re just so adorable.”

Cassandra pushed away from Jake’s embrace, her tears already gone. “I am not _adorable_!” she snapped. “How would you like it if I laughed at something you were upset about?”

“Cassie, I’m sorry,” Jake repeated. He was taken aback by Cassandra’s sudden change in mood. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay, Jake,” she muttered, though she didn’t sound like she forgave him. “Can we just get going?”

“Are you hungry?” Jake asked, realizing that they hadn’t eaten yet. “Do you want me to make some breakfast?”

“No,” Cassandra shook her head. “I don’t really feel like eating right now.”

“You should eat something, Cass,” her husband insisted. “Just a few bites?”

“Fine,” the redhead sighed. “I’ll grab a banana on the way out. Can we go now?”

Jake nodded, not wanting to push the issue any further. On their way out the door Jake grabbed his keys and Cassandra tossed him a banana before grabbing one for herself.

 

* * *

 

Jake wandered into the annex after having made a brief stop in the kitchen for a much needed cup of coffee. He set his mug down on the workspace he shared with Cassandra and Ezekiel and could feel the thief’s eyes on him immediately.

“What?” he glared back at the kid.

“Where’s your better half today?” Jones asked, his smile widening at the words ‘better half.’

“Washroom,” Jake mumbled as he sat down. “She’s not feelin’ all that great today, so you better be nice to her.”

“When am I ever not nice?” Jones feigned being insulted. “To Cassandra, at least?”

Jake grunted. “I mean it, Jones. No teasin’ her today, no snarky comments. In fact, how about you just don’t talk at all today?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” Ezekiel quipped.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn ya,” Jake said flatly with a shrug of his shoulders, his head focused on the book he had left out the previous day.

Just then the back door flashed open and Flynn came running through.

“Oh, Stone! Good, you’re here,” the senior Librarian seemed very excited to see Jake. “I need your help!”

“What, right now?” Jake’s head snapped out of his book and he turned in his seat to face Flynn.

“Yes, now! There’s this painting I need your help recovering,” Flynn sounded urgent.

“Are you sure Baird or Jones can’t help instead?” Stone asked. “I was kind of hoping to take it easy today. Cassie ain’t feeling too great, I don’t really want to leave her alone.”

“I’ll keep her company, mate,” Jones said from across the table.

“ _You?_ ”

“Why is that so shocking?” the thief asked. “Cassandra and I are friends.”

“It’s just...today’s not really the best... _you_?” Jake glanced between Flynn and Jones, trying to decide what to do. He really hated the idea of just up and leaving without so much as a goodbye to Cassandra, but Flynn really did look as though the case was urgent. And Jones had a point, he did have a soft spot for Cassandra. She was the sister he never had, and although she was still often the subject of Jones’ teasing, he was always much kinder to the redhed than any of the other Librarians. “You really sure, Jones?”

“Well it’s not like I’m babysitting her or anything,” Jones smirked. “Just keeping her company, really. I do that all the time.”

Jacob rolled his eyes. “Yeah, babysitting. There’s something that will never happen.”

“What, you don’t trust me with your kid?” Ezekiel asked, doing his best to look innocent.

“Jones, I wouldn’t trust you with my houseplants,” Stone narrowed his eyes at the kid.

“This is all well and good, but if you don’t mind,” Flynn danced nervously by the back door, impatiently waiting for Jake to join him. “I’d kind of like to save the world again.”

“Right, sorry,” Jake gathered his things and got up, heading over to the door to join the senior Librarian. Just before he stepped through the portal he turned his head to Ezekiel.

“Tell Cassandra that if she needs anything, and I mean _anything_ , to just give me a call, okay? I’ll drop whatever it is I’m doing and be back here in an instant.”

“This is really great to hear from the guy who is supposed to have my back on this mission,” Flynn said enthusiastically. “Can we go now?”

And with that, the two men pushed themselves through the door and disappeared from the annex.

 

* * *

 

Jake found himself stumbling out of a closet in a large, well kept house. Flynn had known this already, having been there before returning to the annex to fetch Stone. He didn’t seem the least bit phased by intruding in someone’s home.

“Should we even be here?” Jake leaned over and whispered as he followed Flynn through the place.

“Estate sale, they opened their home to the public today,” Jake nodded in understanding at Flynn’s explanation.

“So what’s so urgent about retrieving a painting that you couldn’t wait for me to at least say goodbye to my wife?”

Flynn stopped dead, having entered from the back of what looked like the sitting room. The regular furniture had been pushed aside to make room for several wooden chairs, most of which were currently filled. At the front of the room an auctioneer was shouting off numbers as two buyers engaged in a bidding war over a china set.

“Oh no, this isn’t good,” Flynn spoke just loud enough that Jake could hear from right beside him. “They’ve already started the auction.”

Before Jake could even get a word in, Flynn had grabbed his shoulder and was dragging him out of the room the same way they came in.

 

“What the hell, Flynn!?” Jake scolded. “Is it too much to ask that you at least tell me why I’m here?” He nagged as Flynn continued to drag him through the house with such determination that Jake was sure the senior Librarian knew exactly where they were going. He soon found himself in a smaller room on the other side of the sitting room they had been in a moment before. This room was filled with numerous items, including several paintings. Jake assumed that this is where the items to be auctioned off were being held.

“That’s why you’re here,” Flynn finally answered, pointing at one painting in particular.

“The Hands Resist Him?” Jake asked skeptically. “The _eBay_ painting? Isn’t that just an urban legend?”

Flynn didn’t answer, but he raised an eyebrow at his fellow Librarian.

“Right, right. Sometimes I forget we don’t live in the real world,” Jake shook his head. “So what, are we buying it? Stealing it? Wouldn’t Jones have been better for this?”

“I need you to tell me if it’s a fake,” Flynn said. “See, Charlene doesn’t mind budgeting for us to buy the painting if it’s the original, but she won’t pay for us to buy a forgery.”

“And you need me to verify it before it gets auctioned off?” Stone started to clue in. “Couldn’t you have just gotten Jones to steal it?” He asked like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Not a chance. There are guards patrolling these halls, we’d have a hard time getting it back to the door,” Flynn explained. “And even if we did, they would notice that it disappeared. Charlene refuses to risk drawing any attention to the Library. You never know who’s going to be at one of these auctions.”

Jake sighed, realizing that it was pointless to argue the point further. “Fine,” he mumbled as he approached the painting. He didn’t have everything he needed to fully analyze it, but he was skilled enough that he was confident in his ability to figure out whether or not it was more likely authentic.

While Stone studied the painting up close, Flynn stood guard at the door in case someone came in to fetch something for the auction.

“What’s going on, Stone?” the senior Librarian asked from his post.

“I’m still not entirely sure, but to the naked eye this does appear to be the same kind of paint Stoneham used, and these brush strokes are definitely his style,” Jake mumbled, more to himself than to Flynn.

“That’s not what I meant,” Flynn eyed Jake. “What’s going on with you today? You’re usually more than willing to tag along with me on a case, particularly art related ones.”

Jake sighed, finally looking up from the painting. “Cassie’s been in a mood all day.”

“And she’s taking it out on you?” Flynn guessed.

“No,” Jake shook his head. “Well, yes, but that’s not what’s bothering me.”

Flynn gave him an encouraging look, silently asking for him to continue.

“It’s just, she’s carrying my baby, _our_ baby, she has every right to be irritable. And she didn’t get much sleep last night, she’s probably exhausted, and she can’t keep nothin’ down this mornin’,” Jake reached up and scratched his head, suddenly feeling a little awkward. “I’m trying so hard to be patient with her, but it’s hard, you know? And I just feel like an ass because she’s the one who has to actually go through all this, yet here I am in a bad mood because she snapped at me today.”

“Did you try talking to her about all this?” Flynn asked when Jake finally finished.

“Haven’t had the chance,” Stone shrugged. “She kept nagging me the whole way to the annex, then she disappeared into the washroom when we got there. You showed up shortly after that.”

Flynn nodded. “And that’s why you didn’t want to come with me?”

“I hate leavin’ Cassie without everything being resolved. I mean, what if this turned out to be a more dangerous case than it was?” Jake gestured at the painting. “By the way, it’s real. I’m fairly sure, at least. As sure as I can be without testing the paint.”

“Well then, our work here is almost done,” Flynn started toward the door and gestured for Jake to follow. “I’m already registered for the auction. As soon as we buy this creepy work of art we can get back to the annex and you and Cassandra can work this out.”


	6. Distractions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Jake out helping Flynn, Jones is left alone with Cassandra.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get up! First I was sidetracked with the Fourth of July story, and then real life got in the way. I'm posting what I have written so far, even though there's a bit more to this part of the story. The next chapter shouldn't take as long to be posted.

Cassandra greeted Ezekiel when she entered the annex that morning and sat down at their workspace. She noticed the near full coffee cup sitting at Jake’s spot, but saw no sign of her husband.

“Have you seen Jacob?” she asked the thief next to her.

“Jacob... Jacob...” Ezekiel pretended to be thinking. “Brown hair? Kinda short?”

“He’s taller than you,” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Have you seen him or not?”

“Flynn dragged him away, said something about a painting.”

“Oh okay then,” Cassandra seemed a little dejected as she dug out her notebook and began scribbling away.

Ezekiel hesitated. He really didn’t want to get involved, but Cassandra was his friend. “Everything okay with you two?”

“What? Yeah, no, everything’s fine,” Cassandra looked a little shocked at the question when she looked up at Jones. “I’m just having an off day, I may have been a bit short with him on the ride over here.”

“Yeah, he may have mentioned that you were a bit moody today,” Ezekiel said casually as he tipped his chair back and played with his pen.

“Oh, he did, did he?” Cassandra closed her notebook and narrowed her eyes at the thief. “And what else did he say?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he straightened up his chair and put his pen down. “Say, are you hungry? I’m hungry. How ‘bout we order a pizza?”

“Jones, it’s ten in the morning.”

“Is it?” Ezekiel asked with a bit of shock. “No wonder I’m so hungry! Extra cheese and double pep good for you?”

“Is the pizza place even open this early?” Cassandra asked skeptically.

“Don’t even worry about that,” Jones smiled wide. “You want pizza or don’t you?”

“Well,” Cassandra hesitated for a second. “I didn’t eat much this morning and actually, pizza sounds great right about now.”

“Awesome!” Ezekiel pulled out his phone. Cassandra watched as he hit a single button and was soon placing the order. She rolled her eyes but didn’t point out how weird it was that he had the pizza place on speed dial. “It’ll be here within thirty minutes,” he said after he hung up.

The pizza was indeed there within the thirty minutes. After the incident with Dulaque a few years back Ezekiel had made sure that every pizza delivery person that delivered to the annex knew that they were only allowed to leave the pizza with him and him alone. For the most part this arrangement didn’t really upset anyone as it meant that any time they ordered pizza, it was Jones who had to get up and answer the door. However, there had been one night when Jenkins was working late by himself and had tried to order a pizza, only to have the delivery boy refuse to leave the pie with him. That had been ages ago and Jenkins still hadn’t forgiven Jones for that.

“Okay, now spill it,” Cassandra encouraged after she had finished her last slice and was dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “How did you convince the pizza place to deliver here before they even opened?”

“Cassandra, you’ve known me long enough to know the answer to that,” Ezekiel paused for a moment, but the redhead just gave him a look that meant she really didn’t know. “I’m awesome!”

Cassandra rolled her eyes as she got up to throw her trash away. She grabbed Jones’ garbage on her way by, knowing full well that if she didn’t throw it away for him, it would sit there for who knows how long. While she was up she sneaked a glance at her phone, checking both the time, and for any messages she had missed.

“I don’t suppose Flynn mentioned how long they would be?” Cassandra asked, a hint of nervousness creeping into her voice.

“Nope,” Jones shook his head. “Just that he needed Stone to help him recover a painting. Seemed kinda urgent. Jake wanted to stay long enough to let you know he was leaving, but Flynn dragged him away pretty quickly.”

Cassandra sighed as she sat back down, hoping that Jones couldn’t see that she was starting to get worried. It was odd that Jake hadn’t at least sent her a text letting her know he was okay. The thief, however, saw right through Cassandra and knew instantly what she was thinking.

“I’m sure they’re fine. They haven’t been gone that long,” he tried to be reassuring, though it didn’t look like it was helping. “I know, why don’t we play a game to take your mind off things? I know Jenkins keeps some old board games in his office. I found them once when I was snoo...cleaning.”

That seemed to make Cassandra smile just a little bit. “I don’t know what’s harder to believe, that you expect me to believe you were cleaning, or that Jenkins has a secret stash of board games.”

Jenkins was no where to be seen that day, so the two of them quietly made their way into his office and Jones went straight over to the corner where he had found the games. He rifled through the boxes, offering a few up to Cassandra if he deemed them interesting enough to play.

“How about Monopoly?” he asked, holding the box up.

“Do you really want to play Monopoly with someone who’s been dubbed ‘Math Girl?’”Cassandra asked him skeptically.

“Good point,” Jones put the game back. “Scrabble it is, then.”

Cassandra didn’t say anything, but raised an eyebrow at the young thief.

“What? You don’t think I can beat you, do you?” he asked, pretending to be more hurt than he was. “I’m more than just a common thief, you know. How about we make this interesting?”

“I’m listening,” Cassandra encouraged him to continue.

“If I win, you have to name your baby after me.”

“What if we have a girl?”

“I always thought Ezekia had a nice ring to it,” Jones retorted as he walked away with the game in tow.

“And what if I win?” Cassandra called as she hurried to catch up with her friend.

“I’ll babysit for you one night a week for a month,” Jones replied casually as he reached their workspace and started to set up the game.

“Jacob will never go for that,” Cassandra shook her head.

“Yeah, he may have mentioned that,” Jones held the bag out to Cassandra so that she could get her letters. “But the way I see it, if you trust me to babysit, then it won’t be long before he caves and sees it your way.”

“I don’t know…” Cassandra set her tiles down on her ledge and waited for Jones to pick out his letters.

“Afraid I’ll win?”

“Okay, fine,” Cassandra extended her hand to the thief, who shook it. “Make it two months and you’re on.”


	7. Scrabble n' Selfies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Flynn and Jake be able to retrieve the haunted painting? Will Cassandra have to name her baby after Ezekiel? Find out...right now. Same bat time, same bat channel.

Jake sat impatiently next to Flynn at the back of the room where the auction was being held. He shifted in his seat, trying to get comfortable. The old, wooden chairs they were in weren’t designed to be sat on for long periods of time, and it only felt more uncomfortable to Jake, who was eager to get back home to Cassandra.

“How much longer? I feel like we’ve been here forever,” he leaned over and whispered to Flynn.

“Not long now. They must be saving _The Hands Resist Him_ for the end,” Flynn answered. “I’m pretty sure they’ve auctioned off almost everything now.”

The sound of a gavel being banged brought their attention back to the front, and Jake watched as they carried away the most recently won item and brought up an antique bird cage. Normally this would be heaven to the Librarian. Antiques and art being paraded in front of him, he couldn’t get enough of auction sales like this. But although he enjoyed Flynn’s company, he would rather have Cassandra at his side. Or at the very least he wished he’d left on better terms.

“Forget manners, I’m gonna text Cassie,” Jake mumbled more to himself than to Flynn. “Just to let her know I’m alright.”

Flynn glanced over with his eyes, but didn’t say anything as Jake reached into his jeans’ pocket where he usually kept his phone. After not finding his phone there he felt his shirt pocket, and then his remaining pants’ pockets.

“Dammit!” Though he didn’t shout, Jake’s voice was loud enough that a few people sitting nearby looked over for a brief second to see what the disturbance was. This time Flynn fully turned his head towards his friend and raised an eyebrow in curiousity. “We left in such a rush this mornin’, I forgot my phone on the charger. It’s still at home.”

“We’ll be out of here soon,” Flynn whispered.

“Can’t I just borrow your phone?” Jake asked. “I don’t want Cassandra to worry.”

Flynn nodded and went for his phone just as they started to bring out _The Hands Resist Him_. “Oh, here we go!” The Librarian exclaimed as he forgot about his phone and got his paddle ready.

 

* * *

 

“Nice try, but ‘shazbot’ isn’t a real word,” Cassandra said dryly after Jones had placed his tiles on the board.

“Sure it is,” he argued. “Haven’t you ever watched Mork & Mindy?”

“Surprisingly, I have,” the redhead countered. “But that’s neither here nor there. English words only, Orkan isn’t Scrabble regulation.”

“You do know that there isn’t actually an Orkan language, right?” Jones smiled at her. “Technically ‘shazbot’ is a word made up for a TV show. An English speaking TV show written by _English_ speaking people. Therefore, it should count.”

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at the thief and crossed her arms. It wasn’t the first time he tried to pull that stunt. He had already tried to play ‘gorram’ and ‘frak’. Though she had never watched the shows that those words were from, she had heard Ezekiel talk about them enough times that she immediately spotted the references. Mork & Mindy did catch her by surprise, though she supposed the kid’s obsession with aliens explained why he had seen that show.

Realizing that she wasn’t going to back down, Jones removed most of his tiles from the board. He left the ‘h’, ‘a’, and ‘z’ in their place, and added an ‘e’ to the end to make ‘haze.’

“I still get the double word score,” he bragged.

Cassandra shrugged. “I’m still winning,” she retorted a split second later after recalculating the scores in her head.

 

* * *

 

“And SOLD!” the auctioneer banged down his gavel and nodded in Flynn’s direction.

Flynn smiled, feeling very proud that he had just won the painting they were after. And he had only had to bid $250 over the budget Charlene had given him, a personal best as far as he was concerned.

“This is all well and good, Flynn,” Jake leaned over to whisper as the auctioneer began the bidding on the next item. “but your phone?”

“Oh, right,” the senior Librarian fished into his jacket pocket for his cell phone. When he found it, Jake reached his hand out to take it, but instead of giving it to Jake so that he could text Cassandra, Flynn leaned in close so that their heads were almost touching and held the phone out in front of them. “Say cheese!”

“Wha-” Jake started to mumble but he didn’t have time to finish his thought before Flynn was taking their picture and sending it off.

“What better way to let the love of your life know that you’re alive and well than with a picture?” Flynn asked as he deposited the phone back into his pocket.

“Alive, yes,” Jake mumbled. “Jury’s still out on the whole ‘well’ part.”

Flynn’s attention was back on the auction at the front of the room. “Well you can relax, because they’re almost done here. Then all we have to do is write them a cheque and bring the painting home with us.”

“Of course,” this made Jake chuckle. “The Library has a checking account. Why do I find that so amusing?”

 

* * *

 

“Ezekiel, no!” Cassandra shrieked. “You can’t use that word, it’s entirely inappropriate!”

“So what?” Jones smirked. “It’s a word. It’s in English. It’s legal.”

“If I check the Scrabble dictionary I bet it won’t be in there,” Cassandra challenged.

Jones just shrugged. “Depends which Scrabble dictionary you check, kid. It won’t be in the Hasbro version because they’re trying to promote ‘family fun,’” he held up his fingers to do air quotes as he said that last bit. “But if you consult the rules that Alfred Butts set up when he first created the game, you’ll find that this word is indeed allowed. You’re just mad because now _I’m_ winning.”

Cassandra sighed but didn’t press the issue any further. Instead she was distracted by her phone buzzing. Ezekiel and the game forgotten, she dug into her pocket hoping to have a new message or call from Jacob.

For a brief moment Cassandra felt her heart drop when she saw that the message she was receiving was from Flynn and not Jake. Why would Flynn be messaging her instead of her husband? Had something happened to Jake? However, her panic lasted only a second when she realized that it was actually a picture message. She breathed a sigh of relief and giggled when she saw Flynn’s smiling face squeezed up close to a scowling Jake. The accompanying message simply read:

_saved the world again._  
_be home soon._  
_jake says hi._

Cassandra felt relief wash over her knowing that her husband and her close friend would soon be back. She tucked the phone back into her pocket and looked over at Jones, who was watching her expectantly. And then she broke into tears.

“Cassandra?” Ezekiel jumped from his seat and ran over to her. “Cassandra, what’s wrong? Did something happen to Stone?” he ushered her back to the table where they had the game set up and encouraged her to sit down.

“No,” Cassandra cried as she buried her face in her hands. “Jake and Flynn are fine, they’re on their way back.”

“Well then what is it?” Ezekiel was starting to wish he had paid more attention to Stone’s warnings earlier that day. He may have been awesome at everything he tried, but Ezekiel Jones never knew what to do with a crying woman.

“It’s just…” Cassandra sobbed, trying to get her words out. “he’s going to be so mad.”

“Who, Stone? What makes you think that?” Jones asked. “Jake loves you, Cassandra. I don’t think it’s even possible for him to be mad at you.”

“When he finds out about our bet,” Cassandra finally looked up at the thief, tears streaming down her face. “he’s going to hate me. There’s no way I can beat you with the tiles I have left. We’re going to have to name our baby after you.”

“Oh, Cassandra,” Jones took her hands in his. “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a little friendly competition. You don’t actually have to name your baby after me. We’ll just keep this whole thing between us.”

“Really?” she managed to choke out. “Are you sure?”

“Of course,” Ezekiel hesitated for a moment and then pulled Cassandra into an awkward hug. “I’ll still even babysit for you, if Stone’s okay with it. Anything to put that smile back on your face.”

Just then the back door burst open and Jake and Flynn stumbled out, Flynn triumphantly carrying his latest prize.

“Cassie!?” Jake instantly ran to his wife’s side and glared at Jones. “What did you do!?”

Cassandra, however, pulled away from Jones and looked at Jake, a wide small on her face. “I’m fine, Jacob. How was your day?”

Jake looked suspiciously at her before eyeing Ezekiel, who looked equally confused.

“You played me!” Jones couldn’t believe that she had managed that. He was normally so good at reading people. “You little sneak.”

Jones stormed off, but not without a quick wink in Cassandra’s direction. Just like Stone, it was near impossible for the young thief to ever be mad at the redhead.

“What was that all about?” Jake asked, watching Ezekiel walk away.

Cassandra shrugged. “Beats me. So I hear you saved the world again?” She glanced in Flynn’s direction who was proudly looking the painting over.

“If you can even call winning that painting in an auction saving the world,” Jake mumbled. “Honestly, it was a lot more uneventful than Flynn made it sound when he came to get me.”

“I heard that,” Flynn said, his back to Jake as he continued to ogle the painting. “I thought we were having a great day.”

Cassandra wandered over to stand next to Flynn so that she could get a good look at the painting.

“Kind of creepy, isn’t it?” she scrunched up her nose. “And what’s with the evil looking doll?”

“I know, right?” Jake said as he came up beside her, wrapping an arm around Cassandra’s waist. “I swear, our kid is never going to be allowed to play with dolls.”

“I think it’s beautiful,” Flynn said wistfully, scooping up the painting. “I better get this locked up. Trust me, you don’t want it left out once night time comes.”

Jake and Cassandra exchanged disturbed looks as Flynn carried the painting out of the annex, presumably headed to the main Library.

“So…” Jake started once they were alone.

“So…” Cassandra repeated, turning in Jake’s arm to face him fully. He wrapped his other arm around her as well, and she placed her hands on his chest.

“I wanted to text you,” Jake said. “but then I realized I left my phone at home.”

“It’s okay,” Cassandra smiled up at him. “I really enjoyed that selfie Flynn sent.”

Jake chuckled at that and placed a kiss on the top of Cassandra’s head.

“I’m sorry about this morning,” Cassandra said after they had been silent for a moment.

“Darlin’, no,” Jake slid his hands up from Cassandra’s waist and cupped her face. “Don’t you dare apologize. If anything, I’m the one who should be sorry.”

“You’ve been nothing but perfect to me this entire pregnancy, Jacob.” Cassandra whispered. “I’m the one who’s been a hormonal mess.”

Jake’s hands moved again, this time from her face to Cassandra’s stomach. She was just barely starting to show. “Cassie, you’re carrying my baby in there. You’re giving me the greatest gift anyone has ever given me. You go right ahead and be as much of a hormonal mess as you want.”

And with that he leaned in and kissed her. It was slow and full of love, all their fears and frustrations of the day suddenly forgotten.

“I know it’s barely lunch time, but what do you say the two of us take off and spend the day at home after all?” Jake suggested. “It’s been a long mornin’ for but of us, I think we’ve earned the afternoon off.”

Cassandra didn’t say anything but smiled and nodded as she looped her arm through Jake’s and the two of them headed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for Flynn's selfie came from this Tumblr post by isnotthatstrange/timewarpingavengers: http://timewarpingavengers.tumblr.com/post/119819040076/librarians-texting-headcanons


	8. Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake gets a gift from his mom, which prompts a serious discussion between him and Cassandra.

“It’s here!” Jake exclaimed excitedly as he entered his and Cassandra’s apartment carrying their mail. He set the bills and Cassandra’s latest copy of Cat Fancy Magazine down on the kitchen counter before entering the living room with a thin, medium sized box in hand.

“What’s here?” Cassandra asked from the couch. She had entered her second trimester and her hormones and morning sickness had seemed to settle, at least for the time being. The two of them had also started to tell people outside of the Library about the pregnancy.

“Our baby’s first gift,” Jake smiled and handed Cassandra the box. “Mama insisted on sending it as soon as I told her the news. Go on, open it.”

Cassandra flashed Jake an excited smile before she began to carefully open the box. Inside was a dark red onesie On the front was a giant, white, overlapping ‘O’ and ‘U’ and on the back read the word ‘Sooners’ as well as the number ‘07.’ A little confused, Cassandra looked up at Jake for an explanation.

“It’s very cute, Jake.” she started. “But, um, what is it, exactly?”

“It’s a Sooners onesie!” he answered with a little too much enthusiasm. “It’s the football team for the University of Oklahoma. And seven was my number when I played football in high school.”

Cassandra couldn’t help but lean in to give Jake a quick kiss. He looked about as excited as a little boy on Christmas. This gift obviously meant a lot to him.

“I love it, Jake,” Cassandra said softly after pulling away.

“Mama was so excited when I told her I was gonna be a daddy. She’s going to send over a small jersey later on, too,” Jake continued. Then he slowed down, wanting to ask something that he knew was a touchy subject with Cassandra. “Speaking of which, have you told your parents you’re pregnant yet?”

“Um, not yet,” Cassandra hesitated.

“Why not, darlin’?” Jake asked, taking Cassandra’s hand in his and squeezing it comfortingly. “You’re back on speaking terms with them, aren’t you? I thought you started talking to them after you were cured.”

“I am, it’s just...complicated,” Cassandra tried to explain. “My relationship with my parents has always been tense.”

“They’re going to be grandparents, Cassie,” Jake said. “Don’t you think they deserve to know that?”

Cassandra took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to put her feelings into words. “It’s just...It’s not like I don’t want to tell them, it’s... don’t know, it’s hard to explain.”

“Could you try, darlin’?” Jake asked gently. “I don’t want to force you into doing anything you don’t want to do, but I want this baby to have as much family as it can get. And since my daddy went off to heaven a couple years ago, the only grandpa our baby gets is from your side.”

“Don’t tell Jenkins that,” Cassandra said, trying to lighten the mood. Jake smirked. “I always feel guilty when I try to explain my parents. They aren’t bad people, Jake. They put a roof over my head and food on the table. They’re good people.”

“They can be good people, but still hurt you, Cass. No one is perfect. Don’t feel guilty about your emotions,” Jake encouraged.

“Their hearts were in the right place,” Cassandra continued. “But they just pushed so hard. Life wasn’t always easy for them. They didn’t want me to have to go through the same struggles they did, but I think they lost sight of what was important.”

Jake nodded, so far understanding everything that he was being told. He could understand how that sort of environment would be difficult to grow up in. He rubbed the hand that he was holding, patiently waiting for Cassandra to continue.

“The first time my tumor started to act up, before we knew what was really going on, I was in my seventh grade math class. And well, you’ve seen how it used to affect me, imagine that happening to a 12 year old girl who’s never experienced it before,” Cassandra’s eyes teared up at the memory and Jake’s heart clenched. “Of course, no one believed me when I tried to explain it to them. I got sent to the principal’s office for causing a disturbance. I think that scared me more than the hallucination did. I mean, only bad kids got sent to the principal’s office.” She let out nervous giggle.

“Oh Cass,” Jake said softly. He didn’t know what else to say.

“They called my parents in, and I tried to explain to them what happened. They’re my parents, they knew the kind of kid I was. I had never been in trouble a day in my life. But they grounded me for a week, and figured the reason I was ‘acting out’ was because they weren’t pushing me hard enough.

“Then when things finally came out in the open, I came home from school one day to find they had taken all my trophies down,” a tear finally fell down Cassandra’s cheek and Jake reached out to wipe it away. “They meant well. They thought having the trophies on display would remind me of who I used to be. They were just trying to help. But if they had just opened their eyes they would have realized that all I wanted was for them to hug me, to tell me that we would get through it together.”

With those last words Jake’s heart just shattered. He wished he had been there, that he had known the fragile little girl who wanted nothing more than a hug from her parents. He always knew it hadn’t been easy for her growing up, especially after she got diagnosed, but he hadn’t realized just how alone Cassandra had felt back then.

Jake’s brain was desperately trying to play catch up as he processed the information Cassandra had given him. He was truly at a loss of words and couldn’t think of anything that would take back the pain she had experienced. So instead, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight, comforting hug, something her parents should have done a long time ago.

“I always assumed my parents loved me,” Cassandra added when Jake had finally let her go. “I mean, parents are supposed to love their children, so it seemed like a safe assumption to make. But it wasn’t until I found the Library, until I met all you guys,” she reached out and placed a hand on Jake’s cheek. “until I met you, that I realized just how _unloved_ I had felt.”

Jake’s lip quivered as the weight of those words sunk in. He took a deep breath, composing himself, before he started to speak.

“Oh darlin’, I can’t imagine how that must have felt,” he once again picked up her hand, bringing it up to his lips to place a kiss on the back of it. “I’ll admit, it’s a hard concept for me to wrap my head around. Lord knows I’ve had my share of family problems, but I’ve always known what it feels like to be loved. And I may not be able to take back every crappy thing that’s ever happened to you, as much as I would love to, but I can make you a promise,” he narrowed his eyes the way he always did when he was about to say something serious. “This baby of ours is gonna know nothin’ but love.”

The tears continued to fall down Cassandra’s face, but they had turned into tears of happiness. She couldn’t believe how incredibly lucky she was to have stumbled into this life, to have found the family she had made for herself, and to have someone as amazing as Jacob to share it all with. Now it was her turn to be at a loss for words, instead opting to lean in for a long, lingering kiss that told Jake everything she was feeling.

“You don’t have to talk to your parents if you don’t want to,” Jake said when they finally parted. His arm was wrapped around Cassandra’s shoulder and her head rested on his. “But I’d still like you to think about it. You said so yourself, Cass. They tried. They did their best with what they knew. They may have screwed up big time, but maybe they realize that. Don’t you think they deserve a chance to correct their mistakes?”

Cassandra was silent for a moment, thinking hard about was Jake was telling her. “Maybe,” she said with some thought.

“Letting them know doesn’t have to mean a commitment from them,” Jake pointed out. “It’s just opening that door, giving them a chance to make things right. Don’t forget, we’re the parents this time around. Anything they do that we don’t agree with, we can go right ahead and close that door.”

Cassandra nodded against his shoulder, realizing that he was making a good point. “I’ll think about it, Jake.”

“That’s all I ask,” he smiled and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The front of the onesie was inspired by one of these:  
> http://soonergiftguide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/5C7607H-OS.jpg  
> While the back was inspired by this jersey:  
> http://images.footballfanatics.com/FFImage/thumb.aspx?i=/productImages/_1277000/ff_1277323_xl.jpg&w=245


	9. Grandbaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Cassandra find out the baby's sex, and Cassandra finally talks to her parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay with this chapter. I was away last weekend, and the week before was spent getting ready for the event I was at.

Cassandra sat in the passenger seat of Jake’s truck, beaming down at the ultrasound picture that she held in her lap. She clutched it in one hand, the other hand resting in Jacob’s. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye, a soft smile on his face.

“Are you happy?” he asked her when they reached a red light, turning to get a better look at her and squeezing the hand that he held.

For the first time since they had left the doctor’s office and started driving home, Cassandra looked up at Jake. The look on her face told Jake everything he needed to know, though she answered him anyways.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been happier,” she spoke quietly and squeezed his hand in return. “You?”

“Same over here, darlin’,” Jake’s eyes returned to the road as the light turned green, but the smile didn’t leave his face.

“Jacob?” Cassandra asked after they had driven another moment in silence.

“Yeah, darlin’?”

“I think I’m ready to tell my parents,” Cassandra sighed.

Jake was startled briefly by the revelation. They hadn’t discussed her parents again since the day the Sooners onesie had arrived. Though he had been dying to know if Cassandra actually was thinking about their conversation, he wanted to give her some space and not push the subject too hard. Jake looked at her for a quick second before returning his attention to the road, a mixture of shock and pride on his face.

“Good,” Jake said softly. It was the first word that came to mind. “That’s good, Cassie. If you’re sure.”

“I am,” she affirmed. “I want to open that door. And now that we know,” Cassandra gestured at the picture on her lap. “I feel all the more ready to tell them.”

Jake smiled at that. He knew this was a big step for Cassandra, and he felt so proud of her. He had reached the lot for their building and had just pulled into their regular parking spot. Cassandra had let go of his hand and went to open her door but Jake gently took a hold of her arm, causing her to stop what she was doing and turn her attention onto her husband.

“Hey,” he whispered, his eyes narrowing. “I’m proud of you.” And with that, he leaned in and kissed her. It was soft and sweet, but he poured his heart into the kiss and his lips said more about his feelings than words ever could. When he pulled away she had tears in her eyes, but her smile assured him that they were happy tears. He wiped them away with his thumb and placed one last kiss on her forehead before they both got out of the truck and headed into the building.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Cassandra sat on the foot of the bed she shared with Jake, her phone in her hand. After they arrived home, she had excused herself into their bedroom, shutting the door behind her so she had some privacy. That had been twenty minutes ago and she still hadn’t gotten up the confidence to dial her parents’ number yet.

“You want to do this, remember?” she muttered, trying to build herself up. “Jacob wants you to do this, and you don’t blame him. They’re your parents, and no matter how poorly they express it, they love you...just keep telling yourself that.” She sighed, and finally dialled the number, though she hesitated pressing the call button. She took a deep breath, her eyes closing as she willed herself to press that final button.

“This is ridiculous,” she finally said to herself, louder than she had previously been talking. Then, before she could even allow herself time to think, she squeezed her thumb down onto the button and the phone started ringing. Then she winced, realizing that there was no going back now.

The phone rang three times before a male voice answered it.

“Cillian residence,” Cassandra recognized her dad’s voice immediately and willed herself to speak.

“Dad?” It came out like a question.

“Cassandra?” Her dad sounded happy to hear her voice. Not necessarily excited, but happy nonetheless. “It’s been far too long. How are you? And that husband of yours? What was his name? Justin?”

“Jacob, dad. And he’s good. We’re both good.”

“Good. I’m still sore you didn’t ask us to the wedding,” her dad added, sounding anything but upset.

“Sorry about that,” Cassandra apologized. “It was a really small ceremony. With our schedules-”

“Oh yes, that important new job of yours!” Cassandra’s father suddenly sounded excited. “Don’t say another word, I understand completely. Work is important, and if you had to have a last minute wedding to avoid missing work, and didn’t have time to invite your own parents to the ceremony, that’s perfectly understandable. Your mother and I are very proud of you, Cassandra.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. After hearing Jake tell her how proud he was of her just a half hour ago, hearing it from her father sounded completely different. She couldn’t hear the love behind the words the way she could when Jake had said them.

“Speaking of which, is mom there?” Cassandra went to change the subject. “I have something important I need to tell you both.”

“She’s right here beside me, just hold on one second,” her dad said. Then there was a click as the phone was put onto speaker.

“Cassandra?” she heard her mom ask.

“Hello, mom.”

“It’s been too long. How are you?”

“I’m good, mom. I uh, I actually have some exciting news I need to tell you both,” Cassandra took a deep breath and readied herself.

“Well it can’t be that you got married without telling us,” her dad cut in. “That already happened. I don’t suppose this time you got divorced?” She knew that was her dad’s idea of a joke, but Cassandra had never found her dad’s sense of humour all that funny.

“No, dad,” she didn’t bother to acknowledge his comment. “No, it’s good news. Jacob and I...well, I’m actually...we’re going to…”

“Spit it out already,” her dad was growing impatient.

“I’m pregnant. Jacob and I are going to have a baby,” Cassandra blurted out. There was silence on the other end and she started to worry about what their reaction was going to be. After a moment, her father finally spoke again.

“I’m going to be a granddaddy?” he spoke softly and Cassandra thought she heard his voice catch.

“Yes,” her voice was a whisper.

“Cassandra, that is the best news you’ve ever given us since the day you told us your tumor was gone,” her mother spoke up. “We’d given up hope on ever becoming grandparents when you were just fifteen years old.”

“I’m sorry,” the words came out automatically. Growing up, Cassandra had gotten so used to apologizing to her parents that she often found herself doing it without thinking.

“Sorry? What are you sorry for?” her dad asked.

Cassandra shrugged, but realized her parents wouldn’t see her reaction. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just sorry my life didn’t go in the direction you wanted.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Cassandra,” her mother said. “How could anyone predict what happened to you? It’s not your fault you ended up with a tumor. And look at everything you’ve accomplished in spite of the circumstances.”

Cassandra’s heart sunk just a little bit. She couldn’t help but notice that her parents hadn’t said that they loved her no matter what, or that they didn’t care what Cassandra did in her life as long as she was happy. They simply didn’t blame her for the tumor. She didn’t have time to dwell on details, however, because her dad spoke up again soon after.

“When can we come up and see you?”

“What? Dad, you don’t have to--” Cassandra started to say.

“My daughter is pregnant and I haven’t even met the father of my grandbaby,” her dad interrupted. “When can we come to visit?”

“Whenever you’d like, I guess?”

“Good, good,” her dad said. “In that case, we’ll be up next week.”

“Alright. I should probably let you guys go. Jacob said he’d have dinner ready soon. But you can call me back when you know for sure when you’re coming.”

“Sounds good,” her dad agreed. “One last thing, Cassandra. Do you know yet if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

Cassandra smiled and looked down at the ultrasound picture that she hadn’t let go of since the doctor gave it to her. “We actually just found out this afternoon. We’re having a little girl.”


	10. Meeting the Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Cassandra pick up Cassandra's parents from the airport.

Jake and Cassandra were in the annex, preparing to leave to pick up Cassandra’s parents from the airport, when Flynn and Baird returned through the back door from their latest mission.

“Cassandra! Good, you’re still here,” Flynn exclaimed. “Will you help me find a place in the Library for our latest find?”

“Do you really need help with that? We were just about to head out,” Cassandra said.

Jake’s eyes widened when he noticed just what object Flynn had in his hand, and he pulled Cassandra behind him by her arm.

“Is that a Maori Warrior Mask!?” He snapped at the head Librarian. Cassandra looked confused, but remained behind Jake.

“Why yes it is,” Flynn held the mask up and smiled proudly. “And it wasn’t easy to get ahold of, let me tell you.”

“Aren’t those things supposed to be cursed? They bring bad luck to _pregnant_ women who get anywhere near them!” Jake growled.

“Wait, what!?” Cassandra squeaked from behind Jake, her head peeking out from over his shoulder. “And you want me to help you put it away?”

Flynn looked between the two. Jake’s face was full of concern for his wife, but he also looked angry at Flynn for bringing the mask into the annex, and Cassandra was mostly hiding behind her husband, peeking out just a little bit, her eyes wide with panic. Flynn couldn’t help but chuckle as he took the sight in.

“You don’t actually believe that myth, do you?” He laughed.

“You mean it won’t bring me bad luck?” Cassandra asked. She still stood behind Jake, but she lifted her head higher from behind his shoulder. Her husband, on the other hand, remained in shock, a look of bewilderment plastered on his face.

Flynn shook his head, and Cassandra slowly made her way out from behind Stone.

“If it won’t bring Cassandra bad luck, why does it need to be kept in the Library?” Jake asked, starting to come out of his trance.

“I honestly don’t think you want to know the answer to that,” Flynn answered all too casually, not at all easing Jake’s mind. “Cassandra? You coming?”

Cassandra looked at Jake, who shrugged. They still had some time, and she trusted the head Librarian, so she decided it was easiest to just help Flynn rather than to try and get away. After the two had left to go to the main Library, Jake and Baird were left alone.

“Is Cassandra really safe around that thing?” Jake asked, still concerned. His eyes lingered on the door that the other two had just exited.

“Come on, Stone. This is Flynn we’re talking about. Do you really think he would put Cassandra’s health at risk? Or the baby’s?”

Jake let Baird’s words sink in, knowing full well that she was right. He nodded, but didn’t say anything further on the subject.

“Now that we’re alone, I wanted to ask you something,” Baird said

“I thought it was weird that Flynn needed help simply putting something away,” Jake said, turning his attention to his Guardian. “What did you need, Baird?”

“I wanted to throw Cassandra a baby shower,” the colonel started to say.

Jake smirked. “You? Plan a baby shower?”

“I know, I know,” Baird agreed. “That’s why I’m talking to you. You have sisters, don’t you? You must know a thing or two about this.”

“I guess,” Jake shrugged. “They always held traditional showers, so I’ve never actually been to one, but I suppose I know a few things.”

“Do you think I should try and throw it together while Cassandra’s parents are here?” Baird asked.

“I don’t think so,” Jake shook his head. “I’ve never met Cassandra’s mom, but I have a sneaking suspicion that she and Cass have very different ideas as to how to celebrate this sort of thing.”

“I was kind of thinking the same thing. In that case, I was thinking something a bit more modern and informal. You know, invite you, Flynn, Jones, and Jenkins as well. Nothing too fancy, just a fun little get together.”

“Jenkins? At a baby shower?” Jake smiled. “Now there’s something I’d pay to see.”

Baird rolled her eyes but didn’t say anything.

“That all sounds good, Baird,” Jake confirmed. “I think she’d really like that.”

“Who would really like what?” Cassandra asked, appearing in the doorway.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with, darlin’,” Jake said sweetly, making his way over to her. “Ready to go?”

“Not in the least,” Cassandra rolled her eyes, but took the hand Jake held out to her as they headed out to the parking area.

 

* * *

 

Jake sighed and strummed his fingers along the steering wheel of his truck. He was officially bored. The two of them were parked in the cell phone waiting area of the Portland International Airport, waiting for Cassandra’s parents to call and let them know that they had arrived. Then they were going to drive up front to meet them.

“Are you sure we can’t go inside?” Jake asked, a little more whiny than he had intended to sound.

“I really don’t feel like dealing with the crowds today, Jake,” Cassandra said. “Besides, if we meet my parents inside that’s a couple of extra minutes we’d have to spend with them.”

“But Cassie, do you realize how gorgeous this place is?” Jake insisted.

“Uh, yes?” Cassandra looked up from her phone which she held in her lap. “Do you realize we’ve been here before?”

“Barely,” Jake rolled his eyes. “First time through, Flynn was dying. I wasn’t really paying attention. And the second time through, you were so shaken up, _you_ weren’t paying attention.”

“Of course I wasn’t paying attention, honey,” Cassandra agreed, dryly. “It’s an airport.”

“It’s got the most beautiful, modern architecture,” Jake argued. “Don’t you want to look around?”

Cassandra set her phone down on the dashboard and reached over, taking one of Jake’s hands off the steering wheel and entwining her fingers with his.

“You’re adorable, you know,” she smiled at him. “We can come back. Someday when I’m less stressed, less pregnant, maybe we can go on a vacation the old fashioned way? We wouldn’t be able to see very much today, anyways. Not without tickets.”

Jake smiled and brought their joined hands up to his lips, placing a small kiss on Cassandra’s.

“It’s a date,” he said affectionately, and then leaned in to kiss her properly. Just as the kiss started to deepen, the couple were startled by Cassandra’s phone going off.

“That’ll be my parents,” Cassandra sighed as she pulled away and reached for her phone. “First they don’t let me date during high school. And now that I’m an adult, married and pregnant, they’re still trying to keep me away from the boys.”

Jake couldn’t help but chuckle at that, though he was silently cursing her parents’ poor timing.

“Hi dad,” Cassandra answered her phone. “No, we’re outside… Yeah, that’s right… We’ll meet you out front… okay then, see you soon.”

She sighed as she hung up. “We haven’t even seen them yet and they’re already disappointed in me,” she stated to Jake, who raised his eyebrow in curiosity to her. “They wanted us to meet them inside.”

Jake smirked, but quickly stopped when Cassandra glared at him.

“We uh, I guess we should drive up front then,” he said, coughing slightly. He then started the truck and pulled out of the waiting area, driving around to the front of the airport.

They had just pulled up to the front doors when a middle aged couple emerged. The man was tall and had thinning, light brown hair. He looked nothing like Cassandra. However, the woman he was with looked very much like an older version of the redheaded Librarian. Jake knew immediately that these people were Cassandra’s parents.

Jake and Cassandra stepped out of the truck and made their way over to the older couple. Straight away, her father set down his suitcase and held his arms wide open.

“Come give your dad a hug,” he exclaimed, obviously happy to see his daughter for the first time in years. Cassandra smiled half heartedly and hugged her father, as well as her mother, though her mom seemed less eager about the gesture than her husband did.

“Look at you! I can’t believe my baby girl is going to have a baby girl of her own,” her dad beamed as he took in the sight of his daughter.

“Mom, dad, this is Jacob,” Cassandra introduced Jake once everyone had settled down.

“Nice to meet you sir, ma’am,” Jake said as he shook hands with his in-laws.

“Nonsense,” Cassandra’s father said. “We’re family. None of this sir and ma’am stuff. Call us Christopher and Catherine.”

“Alright, Christopher,” Jake nodded, then turned to Catherine. “Let me help you with your bags.”

“Thank you,” she smiled as he took the bags, then gave Cassandra a look that meant she approved of her daughter’s husband.

Jake carried Catherine’s bags to his truck and gently set them in the back. Christopher had followed with his own bags, which Jake took from him and set next to Catherine’s.

“So, a pickup truck?” Christopher questioned. “You sure that’s appropriate for driving with a baby?”

“Dad,” Cassandra warned as she and her mom followed the men to the truck. Jake, however, seemed less annoyed by the question.

“We plan on getting a second vehicle before the baby is born,” he answered in stride.

“Well that’s good to hear. I only want the best for my granddaughter,” Christopher stated.

From behind her father, Jake noticed Cassandra roll her eyes. Her parents seemed nice enough, though he had spent less than five minutes with them and already he had a glimpse of their passive aggressiveness. Their intentions were good, however, so he put on a smile.

“Are you guys hungry? I thought we would all go out to dinner,” Jake offered. “Though it was a long flight, if you’re tired we can go back to our place and I can whip up something.”

“Oh, no need to go through so much trouble for us,” Catherine said. “We slept on the plane anyways. Going out sounds like a nice idea.”

“Excellent,” Jake smiled. “There’s a nice little pub that Cassandra and I like to go to sometimes. Sound good?”

“A pub, how quaint,” Catherine responded.

“Wherever you want to go is fine with us,” Christopher agreed.

Jake nodded, then held open the back door of his truck for Cassandra’s parents. He held out an arm to help Catherine in, then shut the door behind her. Catherine’s amused tone when she had referred to the idea of a pub as “quaint” hadn’t slipped past him, and he took a deep breathe before getting into the truck himself, wondering just how this evening was going to go.


End file.
